This Heart of Mine (Chicago Stars #5)(93)

Molly looked tense, and Phoebe regarded Kevin with eyes as chilly as a Lions uniform in the middle of a losing Detroit November.

"The lake's freezing, girls," Molly called out to the twins on the porch, trying to act as though everything were normal. "It's not like the pool at home."

"Are there water snakes?"

The question had come from Hannah, who looked worried. Something about her had always gotten to Kevin. "No snakes, kiddo. Do you want me to go in with you?"

Her smile flashed a thousand watts of gratitude. "Would you?"

"Sure. Get your suit on, and I'll meet you there." He didn't want to leave Molly alone with the enemy, so he said, "Your aunt'll come along. She loves swimming in that old lake, don't you, Molly?"

Molly looked relieved. "Sure. We can all go swimming together."

And wasn't this going to be a whole new way to have fun?

He and Molly waved cheery see-you-laters to the Calebows. As they walked away, he thought he heard Dan muttering to Phoebe, but he caught only one word.

"Slytherin."

Molly waited until they were far enough away before she let her agitation show. "You have to get your things out of the cottage! I don't want them to know we've been sleeping together."

After the way they'd looked coming out of the woods, he figured it was already too late, but he nodded.

"And don't let Dan get you alone again. He'll just give you the third degree. I'll make sure one of the kids is always around when I'm with Phoebe."

Before he could reply, she took off toward the cottage. He kicked at a clump of gravel and headed for the B&B. Why did she need to be secretive? Not that he wanted her to say anything—things were rocky enough as it was. But Molly didn't have to worry about being traded to Detroit like he did, so why didn't she tell them to go to hell?

The more he thought about it, the more her attitude bothered him. It was okay for him to want to keep this private, but somehow it wasn't okay for her.





Chapter 20


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In olden days a girl who liked a boy always made sure he won when they played cards and board games.



"Playing Rough"

article for Chik





They changed out of their suits in time for Molly's tea in the gazebo, which she'd decided to hold at three o'clock instead of five because it would be better for the kids. She complained to Phoebe that the paper plates and store-bought cake disqualified her from a photo spread in Victoria magazine, but Kevin knew she cared more about having a good time than bringing out the good china.

He nodded at Lilly, who'd walked over with Charlotte Long and Charlotte's friend Vi. He'd already noticed the cottage residents shielding her from the curiosity of the more transient guests at the B&B. He thought about going over to talk to her, but he couldn't think of what to say.

Molly kept herself surrounded with scampering poodles and noisy kids. She had a red heart barrette in her hair, pink jeans, a purple top, and bright blue laces in her sneakers. She was a walking rainbow, and just looking at her made him smile.

"George!" Molly bounced up and down waving at Liam Jenner as he got out of his pickup around four o'clock and walked toward them. "George Smith! Thanks for coming."

Jenner laughed and walked over to give her a hug. He might be old, but he was a good-looking son of a bitch, and Kevin wasn't crazy about the way he and the bunny lady were hanging on to each other.

"You've got to meet my sister. She used to run a gallery in New York, but I won't tell her who you are."

Yeah, right. Molly's eyes flashed the mischief jitterbug, but Jenner was oblivious. Sucka.

As the artist headed toward Phoebe, he walked right past Lilly. Maybe Liam had gotten fed up with all her early-morning rejections at the kitchen table. Kevin couldn't figure it out. If Lilly didn't like being around him, why did she keep showing up for breakfast?

He glanced from Lilly to Molly and tried to pick the exact moment when his long practice of surrounding himself with low-maintenance women had exploded in his face. He slammed his ball cap down on his head and promised himself he'd watch game film tonight.

The men wanted to talk football, and Kevin and Dan complied. Around five some of the adults began to drift away, but the kids were still enjoying themselves, and Kevin decided he'd put up a basketball hoop tomorrow. Maybe he'd buy some rubber rafts for the beach. And bikes. The kids should have bikes while they were here.

Cody and the O'Brian boys came running up, their faces sweaty and clothes grimy. Exactly the way a kid should look in the summer.

"Hey, Kevin! Can we play softball?"

He could feel the smile spreading all over his face. A softball game on the Common, right where the Tabernacle had once stood… "Sure we can. Listen up! Everybody who wants to play softball, raise your hand."

Hands went up all over the place. Tess and Julie raced forward, and Andrew started to yell and hop. Even the adults were interested.

"A Softball game is a wonderful idea," Charlotte Long chirped from her lawn chair. "Get everything organized, Kevin."

He smiled at her poking. "You want to be a captain, Cody?"

"Sure."